A mining district with unrealized potential, now marked by ruins and trails.
In the hills of south-central Montana, near Three Forks, the Emerson Mining District held promise for productive mining in the mid-1800s. Initially, local rancher Al Nichols found gold samples but abandoned the idea due to the lack of profit. In the early 1870s, a group of prospectors discovered copper quartz, naming their mine the Green Eagle. More prospectors arrived, but financial backing never materialized, and the claims remained undeveloped.
Meanwhile, nearby mines focused on low-grade silver and iron ore. In 1905, the Three Forks Mining Co. formed, consolidating several claims into the Copper Star. The mine produced high-quality copper ore with trace silver and gold, but the financial Panic of 1907 halted work. By 1916, the Copper Star experienced a brief resurgence due to high copper demand during World War I, but the subsequent copper price drop in 1920 led to its closure.
Copper City, a settlement that never flourished, now only features remnants of mining equipment, decaying homes, and a concrete pad. A mountain bike trail, Copper City singletrack, was built in the area in 2019.
